Who Owns the World? How Grassroots Protest Movements Are Our Best Tool for Change
Using peaceful protest as a means to dismantle colonialist power
Who decides what happens to land? To water? To wildlife? To trees? Is it governments who get to choose? Private owners? Should indigenous communities be involved? Do citizens have any right to determine how we treat the planet, locally and globally? Until now, corporations and governments have mostly determined what happens to the natural world and how, but after countless examples of neglect what is our best path forward? We're joined by Bonny Glambeck, campaigns director and co-founder of Clayoquot Action, a direct-action conservation organization on Canada's west coast. Bonny teaches us the history of her region where indigenous communities have joined together with activists several times to protect their lands. Canada's largest protest and civil disobedience action in history is happening here right now, where people on the ground are fighting to protect old-growth forests which are home to rare and precious rainforest ecosystems and many endangered species. Can we learn from their example to protect what matters for the health of our planet and ourselves before it's too late?
What you can do today
Learn more, donate, and get involved at https://clayoquotaction.org/
Explore Clayoquot Action’s current projects and petitions
Educate yourself on Clayoquot Sound and the activists and indigenous nations who are fighting to preserve it
Follow developments on the current Fairy Creek logging blockade and follow the movement on Instagram
Visit the Beautiful Trouble website for resources and history related to grassroots protest movements around the worlrd
Learn more about the ideas and writings of Joanna Macy
Challenge
Pick three issues you care about and find a grassroots organization doing work on those issues to learn more about. Choose to support those organizations in some way by donating, volunteering, or simply sharing their message.
Resources
National Geographic article on the history of activist and indigenous conservation movements in Clayoquot Sound
Toronto Star article about the Fairy Creek protests
Last Stand for Forests website
DemocracyNow story and interview about the Fairy Creek protest movement
Road Stops Here short film on YouTube telling the story of the Clayoquot Sound 1990s protest movement
Pique News article telling the story of both Clayoquot Sound protests in the 1990s and today
Clayoquot protests article on Wikipedia
Article describing the success of India’s tree planting movement
Who Owns the World? And How Grassroots Protest Movements Are Our Best Tool for Change
Using peace as an answer to corruption, exploitation, and greed with Bonny Glambeck, activist co-founder of Clayoquot Action